365/ Day 42 ~ Yummy Playdoh

Durham Region Child Photographer

Today was a day of catching up on things, some relaxing with the girls, house cleaning and editing. As much as the girls love being busy they also enjoy those down days. Abby begged for a good couple of hours at points to break out the Yummy Playdoh my sister gave them last time she was visiting. She is having trouble taking no for an answer these days. I have been telling her that it is for a rainy day because it is messy. Well, what do you know, the wind picked up and rain drops fell from the sky just for Abby to play with her Yummy Playdoh. The phone rang at one point and when I came around the corner this is what I found Abby doing. Needless to say, she complained of a tummy ache later. This play doh really was yummy but needed to be baked and she ate way too much. Poor thing :(.



I had to include one with Madison. She enjoyed the yummy playdoh too, just not as much.

365 / Day 41 ~ Summer Days

What did I do today? I am back tracking my thoughts and trying to remember. I am a little late on posting. My weekends are busy blurs of visits, sessions, etc. Sunday I spent lots of time outside in the backyard with my girls. I am loving this warmth as long as I have shade, lots of water and some breeze to keep me comfortable. The girls enjoyed a dip in the kiddie pool to keep cool. Here is a snap shot from this afternoon.

365 / Day 40 ~ Newborn Session

Durham Region Baby Photographer

Today I had the honour of photographing a beautiful 5 week old baby girl with her family. You can see some of my photos from today's session here on my photography blog. When I got home I was exhausted and completely forgot my 365 so these will have to suffice for me to be honest to my project. Newborn, or close to newborn sessions can be the most challenging to photograph as they often need breaks for feeding, cuddles, etc. She was a joy to photograph. They always are or I wouldn't be doing this. Dad and mom worked just as hard as I did to try for some shots with her on her own. We managed to get a few but not as many as I had hoped. I had my car packed full in case she was up for more. Better to be over prepared for these sessions and overly optimistic in the event that baby is up for more though.

365 / Day 38 ~ Last Summer Days

This week is a true reminder that summer is coming to an end soon. The wasps are out with a vengeance, the evenings have started to get a bit of a chill to them and the butterflies and birds are starting to migrate south for the winter. I love the crisp air of fall so I am not minding one bit and enjoying the fresh air and breeze that comes with the cooler temperatures.

365 / Day 39 ~ "I did it!"

Friday, August 27, 2010

While my aunt and uncle were here they spent some time with the girls at the park. They gave Madison the courage to go down the slide and actually enjoy it. This evening, she was so happy and proud to go down the slide all by herself many times to show us her courage. Can you just hear her saying "I did it!!" in this photo. Melt my heart :). xoxo


We can't go for a walk these days without Madison bringing home a few rocks. She loves them for some reason. Must take after both her grandpa's love for rocks. Perhaps she will be a Geologist one day.

365 / Day 37 ~ Wednesday Words Durham Region Children Photographer

Wednesday, August 26, 2010


Not one but two friendly visitors were having a drink outside our window this evening!!

365 / Day 36 ~ Off to the Dance Studio

Tuesday, August 24, 2010

Another busy day. Our second day into Abby's dance class for the week. Today her exhaustion caught up with her and she was not quite as enthused about dancing as she was the day before. We had a mellow afternoon and she put herself to bed at 7:15pm this evening after a small fight to brush her teeth. She hates getting her teeth brushed, won't have anything to do with it if she had her way...on the other hand, Madison will fight us not to.

Here is a snap of her excited to go to the dance studio. Madison was not so impressed as she got woken from a deep slumber so I could drop Abby off.

Below is a self portrait from this afternoon. Look at those small pipes on me! My sister pointed it out recently and I never noticed before . I guess carting an over 20 lb toddler around and all the lifting and bending has it's benefits for someone who hasn't made it to the gym since before her first daughter was born. I am working on that...one day ;). I want to feel better overall and know that there is always room for improvement. The last time I attempted a good run my chest was burning fire which was very discouraging. I have been blessed with a slim build and fast metabolism but really it is what is on the inside that counts the most.

365 / Day 35 Monday, sweet Monday.

Monday, August 23, 2010

Today was busy and I nearly forgot my 365. At one point the phone rang 4 times in a row, twice I was on the other line, a friend came over at that precise moment and the kids, well, they were being kids. All in all, a fun day...if only my daughter, who was so very exhausted could fall asleep right away for bedtime as she was in much need of some rest. She was over tired and stayed up in tears for an hour past her bedtime.

I managed to sneak out and capture a shot from our garden, still damp from the rain.

365 / Day 34

Sunday, August 22, 2010

I am a little behind in my uploading for my 365. I am just amazed that I have lasted this long though and really want to keep at it! This was a shot of the girls on Sunday enjoying a freezie before going out for a bike ride with their dad.

365 / Day 33 ~ Let's go to the EX!!

Saturday, August 21, 2010

We decided after a gloomy, overcast morning indoors to head out to the CNE today. I am glad we did, the girls had so much fun on the GO train and we got to enjoy some sight seeing, people, watching, window shopping and sampling. I love our annual visit to the EX!

Here are some snaps from our handy little point and shoot Canon PowerShot camera.

365 / Day 32 ~ Little Steps

Friday, August 20, 2010

I am in desperate need of some R&R. I can't seem to relax these days. Even during our day trip to Wonderland this week I wasn't able to really let my hair down so to speak because I had a sinus cold looming over making me feel like my head was being squeezed all day. Tomorrow I am going to surprise my husband with something special for family and for our anniversary. I don't know what yet but he is giving me a much needed break from the girls right now so I have about 15 minutes to think of something. Any ideas?

For now, I took this quick snap of the artwork Abby created on our driveway this morning with sidewalk chalk. She loves to get them wet and use them as paste.

365 / Day 31 ~ Back to Reality

Thursday, August 19, 2010

I woke up on my own for a change today waiting for one of our two to either cry or come bursting in wanting my attention this morning. When the realization clicked in that they were still at Grandma and Grandpa's for their sleepover visit I closed my eyes again and slept another 30 minutes. Being able to wake up at your leisure is so easily taken for granted before kids. I think that is one of the reasons in life that teenagers are prone to sleeping in all weekend...to try to soak it all in before they have families! We both enjoyed a lazy morning of puttering about doing tasks that would otherwise be put on hold and never be done with children around. I got to sort some client photos and frame new personal photos. I feel like I got quite a bit accomplished before my afternoon filled up with children. Tonight, my husband and I celebrate 5 years of marriage. A day early, but that is the nature of babysitting and planning in advance.

365 / Day 30 ~ Sans Kids

Wednesday, August 18th, 2010

We decided to get some much needed excitement and R&R into our lives today and went to Canada's Wonderland for some fun...without the girls! Yeah!! That meant we could go on roller coasters, walk around at our leisure and spend much needed one on one time together. Our fun filled day was followed by a trip to Vaughan Mills Mall for some retail therapy. This photo was captured with my husbands iphone as a combined effort. Can you see how congested I look ;). I awoke on Tuesday quite stuffed up with a sinus cold and it was in full swing today.

365 / Day 29 ~ Summer Fun, Durham Region Family Photographer

Tuesday, August 17, 2010

What better way to spend a summer evening then to enjoy an ice cream cone followed by a run through the sprinkler to get cleaned off. Both girls had a blast and were all smiles and songs this evening while getting ready for bed. Here is my favorite image from this evenings fun.

365 / Day 28 ~ Birth Day Reflections

Monday, August 16

Exactly 4 years ago I was at the Oshawa Lakeridge Health hospital having some pretty painful contractions, gearing up to deliver my first baby girl. It wasn't until the early evening that the doctor suggested I deliver via c-section 32 hours after being induced and only dilating 4cm. I was exhausted by that point, in much pain and waiting on an epidural that I decided I REALLY wanted and agreed without hesitation when asked. I took lamaze classes with my obliging husband before this and had my birth plan set but did have realistic expectations since we knew our baby was of a large size due to gestational diabetes. She was brought into this world at around 8pm. I was a blur of emotion and drugs but the most amazing feeling of all was the strong and overwhelming feeling of love I had for her when I heard her first cry and saw her for the first time. The feeling was so strong that up until that point I don't think I have loved someone more in my lifetime until she came along. You will be amazed at how much your heart grows when you have children. Our second daughter opened my heart up even more.

Today we were planning on doing something fun with the girls but my daughter was so excited for her special day that she woke up way too early and all tears looking for her Hello Kitty outfit that was in the wash. Poor thing was so disappointed to learn that it was a day with just us and not another party day. She enjoyed playing with all of her new toys and spending time with her daddy who is on vacation this week though.

365 / Day 27 ~ Summer Sunday Afternoon

Sunday, August 15, 2010

We had a lazy Sunday afternoon with the girls and enjoyed a stroll at a nearby park listening to the distant thunder storm. I attempted (a poor attempt) at a family group shot with the good old self timer but my girls are really young for this to be affective, especially with wide open spaces. I think a remote is now on my wish list. After running back and forth a few times I felt defeated and gave up as each and every time one of the girls would leap into action and make a break for it. The last time I tried this was last fall and one of our girls was not walking yet.


First, my entry for the iHeartFaces.com challege this week. The theme is Sunglasses. This is Madison trying on her grandma's sunglasses from Saturday's birthday fun.



My 365 post for today:

The girls were so fascinated with their dad when he decided to lie down for a rest on the grass after seeing me over exert myself with the family portrait. Aha!! He is wearing sunglasses too! I never even thought of this until I proofed the page for typos.




I thought I would join them since I was tuckered out after a day of chasing preschoolers around.

365 Day 26 ~ Birthday Party Fun!

Saturday, August 14, 2010

We enjoyed a full day of partying fun for our daughters 4th birthday today. It began at 7am when she came into our room a ray of sunshine and excitement, all ready to party in her Hello Kitty tutu outfit and brand new running shoes. She was eager for her friends to come and to get the party started. My daughter had a blast with her friends and family. She enjoyed her Tinkerbelle decorations, balloons and cake. She loved seeing friends she hasn't seen in awhile and was sad to see them go home. Thanks to all that came out to help my daughter celebrate!! She felt very loved and special :). Here are a couple of snaps from the day.

365 / Day 25~ Birthday Planning Durham Region Photographer

Friday, August 13th

That's right, Friday the 13th! If the superstition of this day is true, and I am not overly superstitious, then I have already had some bizarre and chaotic happenings around here that resulted in a mini panic attack. I haven't had one of those in years. After winding myself up to getting the house to perfection, the kids making a mess as I cleaned and then the dog rolled in cat poop when she escaped out the front for a romp around the neighborhood. She was so set on getting into the relatively clean and tidy house to stink it up with what I am pretty sure she thinks is the loveliest smelling aroma of pooh she has ever sniffed. Yuck! I am good now, calm and relaxed. Thank god for nap time and quiet time.

I can't believe that I left things to the last minute this year. Normally I have things planned a month to 2 weeks in advance and a cake ordered before hand. I can not top the awesome cake that we had last year. Abby has been so wishy-washy this year about what theme she wanted to go with. The themes she has come up with in the past few months (yes, months) that she has mentioned were: Tinkerbelle, Rock-a-bye Baby(?), SpiderMan, Princess and just 5 minutes ago she spewed out "Kid vs Cat", a show she that has become her fast favorite these days. That was not well received at all after I just spent 2 hours battling Whitby pedestrians, construction and a line up at ToysRUs getting party favors and a cake with the Tinkerbelle theme she supposedly committed to for the past two weeks. Oh child, harmless, innocent being, you know not what you say or do ;). I have to laugh. Really, it is cute. Thank goodness for Grandma stopping in today to take Abby out for some special one on one time and present shopping so I could do this running around and for taking the dog off my hands for the night. Abby loves her new shoes and outfit by the way!!

This is my break for the day. A drink of tea, a little blog post and I snuck outside to capture this silly image in tune with the theme of Abby's party. My mind couldn't come up with anything else for my 365 after this mornings fun. If I capture something more interesting in the mean time, I will post it instead.

HAPPY FRIDAY the 13th!!!

365 / Day 24 ~ Neighbourhood Friend

Thursday, August 12, 2010

We nearly missed this little guy on our walk this morning. The light from the shimmer in his eye caught my attention when he turned his head. What irony! Abby and I were just reading Peter Rabbit the other day. It was as though he was sneaking into Mr. McGregor's garden beyond the trees.

I have been using my 50mm mostly for this project. At times like these I wish I had a telephoto lens attached to my camera. I have to say though, using a 50mm is an excellent training tool to help you crop and compose in camera.

365 / Day 23 ~ Wordless Wednesday?

Wednesday, August 11, 2010

I think I may follow a trend I have seen in a lot of blogs. A photo can say a thousand words, well, maybe if there is a lot to say. Today is just something pretty I captured and another 10 second shot into a glimpse of me and the girls. Happy Wordless Wednesday! So much for being wordless ;).

365 / Day 22 ~ Vintage Afternoon

Tuesday, August 10, 2010

This afternoon my daughter and I set up a little tea party station together while the other girls were napping. I came across my MIL's old Kodak Brownie camera she had given me in our garage this morning and wanted to see what I could do with it. Thankfully I had a willing model, for a total of 2 minutes before she was onto something else in the gardens. She takes after me and does not mind playing in the dirt one bit.

365 / Day 21 ~ Everyday Things

Monday, August 9th, 2010 11:45am

Hello Monday! It is already proving to be a start to another busy week. I forced my sleepy self out of bed this morning at 6:45am to tackle the never ending tasks of running my own business before my daycare child was dropped off. My venture, which I am loving, is a labor of love and although I intended on starting PT until at least one of the girls are in school FT, I am finding PT just does not exist as an entrepreneur in this industry. I guess I am living by the idea that you only get what you put into it and I am channeling my efforts every spare moment I can...which is tiny bits of stolen time here or there during the day and late nights despite being mentally and physically exhausted from chasing after the girls all day. I love it! I love how overwhelming and empowering it can be and I love being at home with my girls. I am seeing so much in Madison's second year that I missed when I went back to work during Abby's 2nd year after my maternity leave was over. I wish I could have that year back but also think that my husband and I needed that experience to see what it was like with both of us working FT and juggling daycare drop offs and pick ups, etc and it helped us towards buying the home we are in now. I know he gained a real appreciation for what I go through on a day to day basis when I went back to work and he started to help out way more around the home and with the children. I have a dream husband who does laundry, changes diapers, takes out the garbage and cooks for us most nights that he is home amongst all the other things he does!! I couldn't ask for more. I love him so much and love that he is such an amazing father to our girls.

This morning it looked like it might rain so I herded the girls out front to get some fresh air. They found the smallest puddle possible on our driveway to jump in. They are such a magnet to water.



Sweet busy bees. Busy exploring, experiencing, learning!

365 / Day 20~ Rainy Sunday Projects

Sunday, August 8, 2010

Today was a rainy day Sunday. We had no plans for a change and Matt decided to tackle an unfinished paint job in the hallway from March. Yeah!! I love seeing finished projects. We weren't the greatest pair at seeing household projects through before, well, until we had to sell our last house. Now with preschoolers it is even more of a challenge. I try to pull late nights trying to finish the same day a paint job starts because I know it won't happen for months if I don't finish the same day. I was surprised that he tackled this by himself and had no help from me. Usually it is the other way around since he loathes painting. Thank you sweetheart! xoxo



Nap time is over! The sisters are always so happy to see each other when nap time is over!

365 / Day 19 ~ Durham Region Photographer

I thought I would take some updated photos of our veggie garden this morning. I am amazed at how well the tomatoes are doing this year. Quite the difference from last year. They taste great too! I love the smell of tomatoes fresh from the garden! I had a little visit with my big sister and her friend later in the afternoon too. I passed on the night out to let my husband get away for a bit to discover that he was staying in. Oh well, I have discovered over the past month that wine and I do not mix well at all. I had one small glass with my sister and a really bad headache, similar to the one I had in Ottawa started to brew. I think I will steer clear of wine for awhile.








Me with my sis, taken by her friend.


Bellie getting in on the photo action!